History

This controversial organization was founded by Purushottam Khedekar, also prominent in the Maratha Seva Sangh, a related organisation. Khedekar, an executive engineer in the state Public Works Department, founded the MSS in 1990 'to work for upliftment of the Maratha community'. Soon, many unemployed youths from the rural areas joined the organization. The organization's network is now spread almost all over Maharashtra and even Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and in farther states like Hariyana.

Ideology

The outfit distances itself from the Hindutva organisations and considers itself as the ideological descendant of the Maratha Empire. The outfit's members consists of mostly Maratha youths from the rural interiors of Maharashtra. The organisation's ideology is directed by jealousy for Marathi Brahmins in general. The parent organisation MSS's founder Khedekar is alleged to have close ties with many Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders, although the NCP denies it. Although politically inactive, the organization claims to be a social forum for Maratha revival.

Controversies

The Sambhaji Brigade attacked and vandalised Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute of Maharashtra in January 2004, claiming that the Institute had assisted in defaming Shivaji. Later the Sambhaji Brigade issued statements reflecting a...Read More